


Killing Evil Twins with Fire

by bikingpaladin



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Arson, Canon-Typical Violence, Changelings, Evil Twins, Gentle Kissing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23329645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bikingpaladin/pseuds/bikingpaladin
Summary: Emil didn’t know much about Lalli. Lalli didn’t know much about Emil. Without that knowledge, the trolls had nothing to torment their new targets anymore.
Relationships: Lalli Hotakainen/Emil Västerström
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15
Collections: Synchronised Screaming





	Killing Evil Twins with Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kiraly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiraly/gifts).



> It will be a drabble, I said. *writes some more* It will be a triple drabble, I said. *writes some more* Fuck it, it’s gonna be as long as it needs to be.
> 
> I don't have practice with Emil's and Lalli's voices so hopefully I didn't do too awful writing them for the first time here.

Varjo: a type of troll that assumes the appearance of targeted humans. This troll can touch a human’s shadow and transform into a copy of them. In this cloned form, they match their target’s attributes, equipment, and memories. Varjo are only found in the Dreamscape and they are infamous for emotionally tormenting their victims before they kill them.

In the burning remains of Emil’s childhood home, Lalli beat back his varjo with the side of Ensi’s rifle as the varjo tried to gut him with a pukko knife. Emil wasn’t having better luck either as his varjo chased him with a compact flamethrower.

“You are the worst mage ever.” The varjo said to Lalli. “You couldn’t save your grandma, you couldn’t save your cousin, and you can’t save yourself. You will never save anyone. Every single one of your team hates you for being such a failure. That guy over there? He sees you as nothing but a failure.”

Lalli tried to cover his ears to clear his mind, but a fresh cut to his forearm reminded him why he couldn‘t take his hands off the rifle.

Emil’s varjo said to Emil, “Look at you, a real riches-to-rags story. You think that playing soldier will give you a sense of purpose after you lost everything, but it doesn’t. You’re empty inside and nothing will ever make you whole. Every single one of your team thinks you’re too stupid and too ugly to be a true Swede. That guy over there? He sees you as the biggest idiot ever.”

“SHUT UP. SHUT UP!” Emil shouted.

With his double edged dagger, Emil lunged at the varjo, but a fresh burn to his cheek reminded him why he couldn’t stop running away. Emil tore around a corner and saw Lalli fighting for his life there.

Emil yelled to Lalli, “Trade me!”

“What?” Lalli shouted.

“Trade me who we’re fighting!”

Emil took out his rifle and fired at Lalli’s varjo, putting a bullet right into its hip. It snarled and lunged for Emil, baring the pukko knife, while Lalli took the moment to stab Emil’s varjo in the wrist as it walked around the bend.

Emil bashed Lalli’s varjo in the head with his rifle muzzle, causing the varjo to drop its pukko knife, and Emil pointed the flamethrower at its face. The fact that the troll had Lalli’s face made Emil afraid to finish it off, and recognizing this, Lalli’s varjo laughed at Emil.

Lalli’s varjo said, “What kind of friend are you if you pull that trigger, showing him you’d kill him without hesitation? He’ll hate you even more than he already does. You’re so stupid, Emil, to think that this would work.”

Emil shivered. Could he really kill Lalli if he had to?

“No. He’s not stupid and you’re not me. Kill the troll!” Lalli shouted.

Lalli was right. This troll, this...shadow that used Lalli’s face...it wasn’t Lalli.

Emil’s finger pulled the trigger and the varjo turned from an evil twin of Lalli into a burnt pile of rotting flesh.

Emil’s varjo sprayed a cone of fire towards Lalli, but Lalli ducked under the nozzle and eviscerated Emil’s varjo with a direct jab to the throat. The varjo collapsed in a pile of shadow, leaving behind only a bloody pile of rotting flesh.

With no more trolls to fight, Lalli had enough concentration to set the house back to normal. Using spells, the fires burnt out, the walls rebuilt themselves, and the lifeless remains of the trolls were ejected back into the wider Dreamscape. Emil sat down on the living room couch and to his surprise, Lalli sat down next to him. Lalli was staring at Emil’s chin, which Emil figured meant that Lalli wanted to talk.

Emil didn’t know exactly what to say, so he started with what the varjo lied about that bothered him most.

“I don’t think of you as a failure.” Emil admitted. “Look, your skills have saved our group so many times that there’s no way that I could think of you as useless or whatever that troll told you. And you saved me all those times that I nearly killed us walking towards the voices - so it’s official: the troll lied and you’re not a failure. Even if I am definitely the biggest idiot ever to you...”

“You’re not the biggest idiot ever. That troll was just lying to you.” Lalli said.

Emil suspiciously eyed Lalli’s face, looking for signs of deceit - not that Emil was any good at recognizing such signs. Lalli bit his tongue to stop from saying that he thought almost everyone was an idiot in some way or another - not going to help here.

Lalli continued, “An idiot wouldn’t have figured out we would be better at fighting a varjo that wasn’t copying ourselves. I used to call you an idiot before but I’m not going to anymore.”

“Well, even if the troll lied about that... are you sure I’m not too ugly to be Swedish? That part really feels like it’s true...” Emil said.

Lalli replied, “You might be a short and messy Swede...”

Emil frowned.

“...but you’re still handsome.” Lalli finished.

Emil brightened at the compliment and grabbed Lalli for a bear hug. Lalli’s eyes threatened to bulge out from sheer shock. Emil didn’t notice at all that Lalli was seconds away from biting him.

Emil said, “You’re quite the handsome guy yourself.”

Lalli first tried to wiggle loose, but after a couple of seconds, he realized he kinda liked being held by Emil. Lalli closed his eyes and leaned against Emil to get comfortable.

“Oh Emil, you didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend!”

Emil’s head swiveled instantly to his nanny. Emil dropped the hug and scooted away from Lalli.

“He’s not my boyfriend! Now give us some privacy!” Emil shouted.

The nanny said, “Oh, okay. I’ll be making a little surprise for you two in the kitchen if you need me!”

Emil didn’t stop groaning, even after the nanny was out of earshot.

“She called me your boyfriend.” Lalli said.

Emil groaned even louder. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Lalli smiled to himself. What if Emil really was his boyfriend...? Lalli’s grin got wider and wider.

“What’re you thinking?” Emil asked.

Lalli said, “Nothing.”

“I know it’s not nothing. Tell me!” Emil said.

Lalli teased, “Are you sure you aren’t my boyfriend?”

“I’m not! She was reading too much into it!” Emil protested, his face growing red.

Lalli said, “Oh, well that’s too bad.”

Emil was too embarrassed to speak. He opened his mouth but only a squeak came out. He covered his lips with both hands, but Lalli could tell he was still just as bright red as before.

Lalli patiently stared at Emil’s lips, waiting for him to figure out what Lalli wanted. Emil carefully undid his hands, tracking Lalli’s gaze, and wracked his brains before he spoke.

“Do I have something on my lips?” Emil asked.

Lalli laughed. Lalli leaned over and kissed Emil, before telling him, “Now you do.”

**Author's Note:**

> I looked for the word “shadow” in Finnish (because I wanted to go for a Carl Jung "shadow of the ego" type interaction) and it was “varjo.” Finnish isn’t a language I speak so if there’s a slang meaning I’m not aware of that makes this word otherwise incorrect to use, please tell me.
> 
> There’s a joke to be made here that these varjo are acting a lot like how internet trolls use emotional manipulation to tear down their victims. It’s not a very funny joke, but it’s a very pointed one for sure.
> 
> March Prompt List can be found here: https://stillsyns.tumblr.com/post/612032743344324608/march-prompt-list-drabbles   
> Prompts used:  
> Emil: shiver  
> Emil/Lalli: mind  
> Generic: evil twin, kill it with fire, kiss, and a little bit of airing it out


End file.
